An Inspired Cook

Are you a fan of pretzel rolls?  They have become the big craze lately and remind me of the soft pretzels that you dip into cheese sauce or slather with mustard.  Josh wanted a cheese dip for the pretzel rolls and out of that came the idea of sliders with a cheddar cheese sauce.  These are fun to make and even more fun to eat.  I’m thinking these would be a big hit at open house grad parties.  These were originally supposed to be green chile cheese sliders but then Josh piped up again and said “Why not top it with jalapenos too”!  He was quite the inspiration!

Along with my pretzel slider buns, I assembled ground beef, cheddar cheese, butter, half and half, arrowroot and chopped green chile.

To make the sliders I used a large biscuit cutter to mold them into shape.  They started out the same size as the bun but when they started cooking on the grill they shrunk down in size so you might want to go just a little larger than your bun size.

To make the cheddar cheese sauce I mixed together 2 teaspoons of arrowroot with 1 cup of half and half.  The arrowroot serves as a thickening agent for the sauce

In a medium saucepan melt 2 tablespoons butter then add the half and half.  Give it a good stir until well blended.

Start adding the cheese a handful at a time stirring in between until it melts before adding more cheese.

I put it back on the burner on low just to keep warm until the burgers are done.  My only complaint is that the cheese was a bit grainy.  I used the arrowroot instead of flour to cut back on the graininess so I’m not sure if it was the cheddar cheese that I used or if cheddar just doesn’t melt creamy.   If anyone has any ideas on a smoother cheddar cheese sauce I would love to hear any feedback.

The coals are hot and ready.  Put the sliders on the grill and add some salt and pepper.

Time to flip over to the other side.  Salt and pepper this side.

I put the pretzel buns on the the other side of the grill to warm while the sliders continue to cook.

Got my serving plate ready with all the toppers lined up.  I’ve got some shredded lettuce, diced green chile, pickled jalapenos, chopped tomato, and grilled onion.

These may look small but they sure are filling.  I made 2 per person (except Cam who had 3) and no one went away hungry.

I have a feeling you’re going to love these sliders!

Pretzel Sliders with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

2 pounds Ground Beef
Pretzel Slider Rolls
1 cup Half and Half
2 tablespoons Butter, melted
12 ounces Cheddar Cheese
2 teaspoons Arrowroot
Optional Toppings:
Shredded Lettuce
Diced Tomato
Grilled Onion
Diced Green Chile
Pickled Jalapeno Slices
Mustard

To make Cheddar Cheese Sauce:  Combine arrowroot and half and half together.  Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add half and half mixture to the saucepan and stir until well blended.  Start adding shredded cheese a handful at a time stirring until melted before adding more cheese.  Continue stirring until all cheese is melted, set temperature at low to keep cheese sauce warm.

Place sliders on hot grill, salt and pepper.  Grill to desired degree on doneness.  Place on warm pretzel slider buns and top with cheese sauce and any toppings of choice.

Makes 9 sliders